TTFA turns to Clever advertising; tongue lashing for corporate T&T

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) got clever yesterday as it announced a “marriage” with Clever Outdoor Advertising Ltd at its press conference at the Hasely Crawford Stadium’s VIP Lounge in Port of Spain.

It was a familiar tale, though, as the local football body gave a tongue lashing to corporate Trinidad and Tobago for its tardiness in funding the national football teams.

As the heavens opened up above the Hasely Crawford Stadium, National Teams operations manager William Wallace brought a storm of his own as he chastened the private sector for not supporting the “Soca Warriors” when they needed it most.

Wallace highlighted the Warriors’ struggles before the July 2015 Gold Cup tournament, in which Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the quarterfinal round for the second successive tournament.

“When you don’t have financing it affects every single thing,” said Wallace. “The TTFA has been reaching out to corporate T&T but the responses have been slow if not dead.

“We cannot wait for teams to do well until we come on board.”

The day’s proceedings did not start as promptly either although co-hosts Vidia Ramphal and TTFA media officer Shaun Fuentes got straight into “an interactive segment” with football president Raymond Tim Kee and Clever Advertising CEO Andres Cardenas.

There was no ‘question and answer’ segment for the media personnel in attendance as Tim Kee fielded questions from his own employee and hired host instead.

Photo: Port of Spain Mayor Raymond Tim Kee.Tim Kee is also the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president and PNM treasurer.(Courtesy Wired868)

Cardenas told Ramphal and Fuentes the reason that Clever Advertising came on board.

“After seeing what this team did in the last Gold Cup, I have no choice but to back the Soca Warriors all the way,” said Cardenas. “We are looking for the support of everyone in T&T because when the footballers feel supported that’s when they will play like warriors.”

Cardenas said his company’s main goal is to take the Soca Warriors brand closer to the doorsteps of persons throughout the country, including the rural districts.

“Imagine a kid walking out on a football field and seeing the banner ‘Being a Warrior begins here’,” said Cardenas. “That will create a very good feeling and will give them the belief that they too can be a (Soca) Warrior some day.”

Apart from Clever Advertising, who should start selling TTFA merchandise within three weeks, the TTFA also recognized sponsorship deals with Blue Waters and Lifestyle Motors.

Neither the TTFA nor any of its sponsors revealed the financial terms of any contracts.

Photo: New TTFA technical director and former National Senior Team player Kendall Walkes.

Tim Kee was happy to declare that the ‘Being a Warrior begins here’ campaign had already begun with the TTFA’s ongoing grassroots program, in which technical director Kendall Walkes and coach Muhammad Isa teach the basics of the game to youngsters from all over the country for one hour per week.

However, the shining example of the Warriors’ value was delivered at the 2015 Gold Cup and Wallace praised the team for turning adversity into positivity.

He pointed out that the understaffed National Senior Team was locking horns with financial powerhouses like Mexico and the United States, who, he claimed, receive in excess of US $100 million per year.

“We have to feel proud when a team can go out and compete despite all these things,” said Wallace.

Warriors custodian Jan-Michael Williams was in a less combative mood as he reminisced on their past two Gold Cups under current head coach Stephen Hart. The Central FC captain suggested that Hart could take National Senior Team to the next level.

“I consider him a perfectionist because he leaves no stone unturned,” said Williams. “He gets into the psyche of the players because he knows our culture so well. And that is what sets him apart from previous coaches.”

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago head coach Stephen Hart makes a point during a training session in Sao Paulo last year.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/TTFA Media)

Williams said that he is excited about the upcoming Russia 2018 World Cup campaign and joked that he has no problem playing the United States, once it doesn’t fall on the infamous November 19 date.

The Warriors will instead do battle with the US two days before at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

About Roneil Walcott

Roneil Walcott is an avid sports fan and freelance reporter with a BA in Mass Communication from COSTAATT. Roneil is a former Harvard and St Mary's College cricketer who once had lofty aspirations of bringing joy to sport fans with the West Indies team. Now, his mission is to keep them on the edge of their seats with sharp commentary from off the playing field.

24 comments

There shan’t be any tongue lashing for the sectors of our communities and nations that have done nothing wrong! They have been patient and resolved in their consideration of the importance of sport as a building block of our society and sanctuary for our future generations. They know the importance of sport for the harnessing of our talents and safeguarding of our our societies and communities, and future. The predicament, indecision, has come in the face of relentless deception and futility of efforts to restore truth and trust (T&T), the hallmarks of success, sustainability, and longevity. Without T&T, nothing positive can happen and with it, everything can – nothing else, nothing less! Keep working on honest and clever advertising and choose as Micah 6:8 teaches, “That we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God”. All is the hands of T&T!

I hope that the RTK has not in fact delivered another RKO to his chances at the Presidency. He just like Minister Sancho are seemingly good guys however I like to hear new ideas but get very wary when I don’t hear about projections. Maybe inviting Corporate T&T to partner to manage some of the aspects like HR, Communications etc. during this time could be a fair ask to get them enticed. I’m not sure how making decisions as this after a Presidency term has expired with a demoted General Secretary would pan out. Dunno if Trevlon Hall would approach the risk in a similar manner.

The General Secretary was “demoted”, really? When? Because Sheldon Phillips has been General Secretary for about 2 1/2 years now. When did this demotion take place? And would it have been wiser to wait until after elections to try and secure sponsorship and marketing deals… against a steady (and erroneous) backdrop of criticism that no such deals were being pursued? That’s what you’re really proposing?

If he helps the TTFA raise money and ease the burden on the public purse, then I’m all for it Cheyenne Hector. So good luck to him.
Personally, I subscribe to the view about a fool and his money… And I believe that giving incompetent people a blank cheque does not help much in the long run.

I’ve met Andres Cardenas before and he is a football mad guy. He has a great vision on how to market T&T football. My friend helped him with his 2014 World Cup magazine his company did last year so I was asked to contribute info on each team so had a few meetings with him and was very impressed. I’m glad this partnership is in place. I look forward to seeing his ideas.

Gordon Pierre who is being negative eh I am just telling it like it is about the corrupted TTFA that has been exploiting our players, the sport and our sweet country for many years and continues to do the same. Them really good yes.

With Tim Kee at the helm, if I were a corporate entity and TTFA came to me I would have to decline. There has to be a change in the administration. His track record speaks for itself and I don’t like what it’s saying.

Corporate Tdad.should stay away from TTFA as they learnt their lesson on the road to Germany under JW and RTK.What motivates them to invest after that fiasco .Tim Kee should be shame.All corporate $was stolen and Colonel Klink Tim Kee knows nothing .

Uncle Earl Mango Pierre do not get me mad this morning eh!! You can not be talking players association, love for country and the like and always negative!! The world is a dangerous place not because people do evil but because good people look on and do nothing!!!

And they hired a fella eh and then the monies disappeared in the car park eh, this corrupted TTFA should never be trusted at all eh, look how they used the dead Akeem Adams to make thousand of dollars eh, a bunch of liars and thieves. Steeeuuppsss . Them really good yes.

Your comments have been steadily negative the past few months, but this right here borders on irresponsible. Where is your proof that the TTFA made “thousands” off of Akeem Adams? Where is your proof that Darren Milien is the one responsible for the disappearance of the $400, 00 when David Atiba Charles was the one who anyone could prove had the money? It’s one thing to be critical (constructive or otherwise) of the TTFA, it’s another thing to be needlessly engaged in slander. You really good yes.

The TTFA, NAAA TT and similar sporting organizations in T&T need proven professional sports managers/sports marketing managers. These T&T sports organizations have the wrong people interacting with T&T corporate for sponsorship. National pride and corporate responsibility has little to do with sponsorship. Sports sponsorship is a partnership between the sports entity and the corporation, and the corporation stakeholders expect return on investment. So to secure corporate sponsorship, TTFA etc must hire professional sports managers/marketing managers. This is a business arrangement not a give away.

What is National Pride James? Sometimes I feel that we are better off with two red head corbeaux in the Coat of Arms that says together we never aspire to anything and together we never achieve anything! What is CSR? how much money does the bank take from your account each month and how much interest do you achieve? Ask yourself how much of that money is pumped into sports. Who is the sponsor for the next Keshorn, Cleo, GB3? When will you report on others of that ilk again? Then answer yourself with who ends up on LOC’s for major sporting events in T&T.

Well it is about time that they use their cleverness instead of depending on the cooperate sponsors who doesn’t trust them with their corrupted cronies that is still loyal to the corrupted Jack Warner. Them really good yes.

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